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Having an unbeatable résumé is as vital as acing your interview. It’s the first document you hand out to companies that serve as a key to landing your dream job. First impressions are made from the résumés and cover letters that applicants submit.
But how can you score a job or even an interview when you have a run-of-the-mill kind of résumé? This article will help you display your top skills and qualities by using a timeline template suitable to your personality.
What Is a Résumé?
A résumé is an essential document paired with a well-written cover letter to increase your chances of landing a job. Whether you’re an expert or a novice in making résumés, here are some tips to make yours stand out from the rest and score that job you’ve been eyeing.
What Should Be in a Résumé?
Your resume should contain everything to convince an employer to hire you because you are the perfect match for the job. Therefore, always remember to include the following essential details.
- Your name
- Contact details
- Prior job experiences (with a short description of the tasks you took on)
- Educational background
- Relevant skills and training
Examples of Résumé Templates
Résumés in any part of the world will contain the elements mentioned above and be formatted in any layout you could imagine. The question from here onward is how to make yours stand out from the rest. You may choose from the following resume formats to create your own.
Reverse-Chronological Format
The standard format would be the reverse-chronological format. It is the go-to format for all job seekers because it is the simplest and the most familiar to all employers. This template shows a list of your relevant work experiences in a reversed manner. This way, you can show your employers how you progressed in your career.
Here is an example of a reverse-chronological format:
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Functionals or Skills-Based Format
This format is handy for fresh graduates looking to jumpstart their careers or those who want to change their career paths. While the reverse-chronological design focuses on the jobs you have taken throughout your career, a functional résumé highlights your skills.
You may enhance this template to make your own functional résumé:
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Combination Format
The combination format, also known as the hybrid résumé, is excellent for people with extensive job experiences wanting to switch employers or career paths. It combines the two traditional formats: the reverse-chronological format and the functional résumé format. This design highlights both job experiences and skills to impress potential employers.
Here is an example of the combination format:
Venngage
Additional Tips to Make Your Résumé Stand Out
If you want to step forward with your career, your resume should yield nothing but a favorable and compelling response from a potential employer. Remember that many other aspiring applicants are vying for one particular position. Take note of these tips to set you apart from the rest.
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Always Include a Headline Statement.
A résumé summary serves as a headline statement that highlights your most valuable skills and experience. It helps employers get a quick idea about your profile without reading your entire résumé.
Educational Background Should Be Highlighted Correctly.
Your educational attainment can also be your selling point. This part of your résumé should state the highest degree you earned, followed by a reverse-chronological order of other degrees attained. If you graduated with a university degree, adding your high school information would be unnecessary. To project yourself as a better candidate, include any awards and relevant coursework you have received or undertaken.
One quick tip, you may include relevant extracurricular activities in your résumé.
Highlight Pertinent Skills
You might see yourself as a jack of all trades and include every skill you have in your résumé. Unfortunately, your advanced cooking skills have nothing to do with the programming job you are trying to get.
See my point? To include yourself on the shortlist, only provide what is needed. Your résumé should only highlight the skills the employer is looking for and maybe some relevant office skills like Microsoft Office Suite.
Venngage’s vast array of free and ready-to-use résumé templates can help you stand out from a pile of job applications vying for a single position.
What are you waiting for? Go check out this online résumé maker and get your résumé ready in just a few clicks.